Silent Bloggy

It's me!

Sorry I've been silent and I miss visiting everyone's blog. A lot has happened. I admit I do have time for the blog but as a lot of you know that it can be stressful keeping it updated so I let it slide. My mom had a procedure and there was a complication but that was fixed (vague I know, but my mom is private). She has another problem but hopefully that one will be an easy fix as well. Please send lots of vibes, prayers or just positive thoughts please!

💓

I had yet to get monster pup spayed because of everything going on but it finally got done. She did well. Didn't have to use the cone of shame... until... it was almost healed! She suddenly decided it was a good thing to lick and it looked angry. She earned that cone of shame!

A very bad girl!

My big boy also had a problem. He has acute kidney failure. I started giving him Only Natural Kidney Support (not an affiliate link, just wanted to share the info). It seems to be working well and his numbers (except the creatine) seem to have gone back to normal. Not a cure by any means but it seems to have kept him stable and feeling good. I'm ecstatic about that!

A few other smaller things happened but it all just added up to me being absent from the blog for a bit. I'm going to try to get at least a couple of posts up. It might be a bit stressful but it feels good to talk to all of you!

I think I need a vacay! Anyone want to go? 

Hope everything has gone well for everyone! I should be visiting shortly!

🌄 

Animal Treat Cookbook: Biscuits Pour Animaux by Cassandra Bouclé

Genre: Pet Cookbook
Language: French
81 p.
Publisher: Alter Real Editions
Published: Feb. 2, 18
Source: From Publisher for review
Stores (French resources): Amazon Fr, Publisher Website

Des recettes 100% bio, faciles et économiques, pour chats, chiens et rongeurs. 

Vous trouverez dans cet ouvrage des recettes de biscuits faciles et rapides à faire. Le livre se veut pratique : à chaque page, sa recette, avec la liste des ingrédients et des conseils pratiques. Les recettes peuvent être modifiées selon les goûts de votre animal, ou selon de sa santé. S'il doit éviter les biscuits sucrés ou salés, vous pouvez changer les ingrédients. 

Ce livre de recettes est pensé pour les animaux, mais aussi pour leurs maîtres, qui doivent prendre plaisir à cuisiner, que ce soit pour leur chien, leur chat, leur lapin ou leurs autres rongeurs.

Bon appétit !

English Translation:
100% organic, easy and economical recipes for cats, dogs and rodents.

In this book you will find easy and quick cookie recipes. The book is practical: on each page, the recipe, the list of ingredients and practical advice. The recipes can be modified according to the tastes of your pet, or according to his health. If it should avoid sweet or savory cookies, you can change the ingredients.

This recipe book is designed for animals, but also for their masters, who enjoy cooking, whether for their dog, cat, rabbit or other rodents.

Enjoy your meal!

My thoughts:

I got a note from Melliane from Between Dreams and Reality Blog about a interesting treat cookbook. The only thing... it was in French. Since it was a cookbook I figured I could translate it well enough (with a bit of bad Google translate... LOL) to make some treats. It worked out well.

The book also consulted with a veterinarian to make sure the treats were nutritious and well suited for the various animals in the book. There is a section for dogs, cats, and rodents. It wouldn't be hard to convert some of these treats for horses if you know your horse. The recipes are simple, easy to follow and my dogs found delicious. My only problem was translating the recipe amounts since America usually uses cups instead of grams and ml. However, with a few grams to cups translations on the web according to product and I was able to get it done.

Dog treats and monster pup waiting for it to fall...

I did use gluten free all purpose flour for the treats but I'm not sure it is as necessary to do so elsewhere. I have talked to many people who have gluten problems in the US but not in Europe. So these treats became gluten free. I also substituted the rice milk for plain water since so little was used. The treats were made in ball form (as the meat scrap ones suggested) for ease in making it. These small substitutions worked!

The big pup letting me know the cat isn't getting this...

I made the Dumplings with Meat Scraps, Cheese Bites, and Biscuits with Apple. My dogs LOVED the meat scrap ones as well as the cheese bites. The split was with the apple ones. My pup loved them and my big boy was a bit lukewarm about it. He is a bit on the picky side (not too bad) and he still ate a few which is a big deal to me.

I also thought I'd make the Diced Tuna treats for cats and perhaps see if my neighbor would give some to her cat. It never made it over there. My dogs loved that one so much as well. There was nothing in it that a dog couldn't have in those treats so they gobbled those treats up. In fact, my malamute that I had would have LOVED them as those breed of dogs tend to love fish. In fact, I often treated her with fish. The tuna I used was the healthiest I could find and the fish could easily be substituted with salmon (which I may try later as I feel better about salmon).

To sum it all up, I really liked this cookbook. The recipes are easy enough to make and also make substitutions when needed. You could also use these recipes to make your own tailored to your pets tastes. I give this one 5 stars (and I'm very picky about what my animals eat). I think my pups also give it 4 paws (they don't have 5 paws.. obviously! LOL) which is their highest rating. For the US peeps, this one is well worth translating with a little help from the web. The book is also filled with very cute animal pics waiting for their treats.

🐾🐾

Bloggy Note:

Today is also Rare Disease Day. I had planned to do something better than a note today, but my plans have been laughed at a lot lately. So, please take the time and go HERE to the official website to learn why it is important to fund these diseases and disorders. One treatment or cure can lead to other more common diseases and disorders to be cured as well.

✋

Canine Nutrigenomics by W. Jean Dodds, DVM

Genre: Nonfiction Dog Health
326 p.
Publisher: Dogwise Publishing
Published: 1/13/15
Source: Library

Vibrant health begins in the cells. Learn how to transform your dog's cellular health with the power of nutrigenomics in this ground-breaking new book. Nutrigenomics (a combination of the words nutrition and genome) is the study of how the foods we and our pets eat "speak" to our cells to regulate gene expression, which in turn plays a huge role in determining whether a person or animal will live a life of vibrant health, or one plagued by illness. 

Scientists now know that while we can't change the genes we are born with, we can change how those genes behave, which is exactly what authors W. Jean Dodds, DVM and Diana Laverdure-Dunetz, MS show us how to do in, Canine Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health from Dogwise Publishing.

 My thoughts:

I have been interested in dog health and especially dog nutrition for a long time now. I have had several dogs throughout the years with special needs and so I was forced into reading on nutrition. If you have had to forage into this area you know it can get confusing fast. Very fast. It is worse than human nutrition. What is bad in one book and should be avoided at all costs is celebrated in another. My biggest suggestion for those looking to improve health is to carefully read about the person giving the information and also research their background.

I've been following this vet for a while now and I have read many of her articles but none of her books. This was the first one I have read by her and I was not disappointed. In earlier articles by her I read a bit of her information on thyroid problems in dogs. I've had two dogs with that problem and one of them is my large doberman. Though her articles I have adjusted when I give the medicine to him and what foods to avoid. It seems very consistent with other nutritional veterinarians.

This book focuses on Nutrigenomics. It is has gained more popularity and was once considered pseudoscience. Not all agree that there is enough evidence to suggest that nutrition can influence how genes react which is the basis of nutrigenomics. It is in a sense using food as medicine. It has been gaining popularity and more papers and studies have been done. It is an interesting idea in both humans and animals. Plus, in my own experience I have physically seen how nutrition has changed my animals health throughout the years.

Dr. Dodds also runs a canine blood bank and has a test for food sensitivities which she promotes in the book. I would love to do it for my pups but it is very expensive (but some insurances do cover it but a veterinarian has to order it). It could end up being a money saver, however, if you have not gotten to the bottom of certain gastrointestinal disorders or even coat problems (like hot spots and excessive itching). It is at least worth a look if you have a pet that has issues that have not been helped conventionally. There is information on her site about this test and the book really tells you how the information you gain from this test applies. If you don't do the testing you can still gain some insight and knowledge on what to feed your dog.

I give this book 4 stars with my long winded review. The book can seem quite technical to some so I would try her articles first to see if it is someone that makes sense to you. I also suggest to library book this one (where I got my ebook copy) to see if it is something you want to keep or just something to get a few tidbits from to enhance your dog's food. Dr Dodds is at lest worth a look when you are trying to help your pet's health through nutrition.

Dr. Dodds Blog (you can also access their other services and information through the link as well).

🐕

What's Going On? AKA Why I've been a bit MIA...

In some ways this is going to be a hard post to write. I was tempted to just go with some shows I've been watching but I'm going to tear the bandaid off and just get to it.

In May I lost a member of my family. My sweet girl. You've only seen her a few times on the blog and she was very loved. She was only 13.

My Sweet Girl

She was an Alaskan Malamute and I got her when my cousin passed. He had 2 and his mom couldn't take care of both where she was going to live (she lived with him previously) and his brother could only take one. She did not get along with either of my parents dogs and when my big pup worked his magic, she accepted him as her minon. She got a bit nervous as he grew but he had no problems accepting her as his queen. They got along famously. In fact if he got scared she came running to make sure he was okay. She was his rock in life. I can't share more or I'll cry again. 

She left a huge hole in the house and my big pup really got depressed. So much so I started to worry. I had always intended to get someone for him to play with since my sweet girl couldn't with her arthritis and pain especially in the last year. She didn't care for other dogs so I wouldn't stress her out with another dog. However, I knew my big pup would need a companion of the puppy persuasion sooner rather than later. As his depression got deeper (even my mother commented on it) I knew I had to look for a dog sooner than I had intended. It was too soon for me, but I just needed to get over myself. So I started looking for female who was either a doberman pinscher, a pittie (as sometimes they are hard to place), or a black dog. All rescues if you were wondering but no judgement here because I only care that you provide a good forever home for it once you get an animal.

Then I saw...

Pictures from EAPL

and

Pic from EAPL

With that face I knew I found the perfect one to drive me and the big boy crazy for the next few months. I figured a pup would be best to easier get them together or otherwise I'd have to pick something closer to home for more than one "get to know me" session. Sadly, I didn't see one that looked to be compatible nearby. 

The monster... I mean pup *cough* 😜 was from the Evergreen Animal Protection Services who gets dogs from shelters in CO and neighboring states into foster homes for adoption. She was the last of her litter to go (black dogs don't often get picked). She is a Shepard mix (momma was a Shepard mix and daddy was a high fence jumping salesman). The big boy simultaneously loves and is annoyed with her. I expected that, but he isn't depressed!

Before the pup was picked up to go to her forever home, I did whip up something for the little monster... uh... pup. The font is small and I added a paw prints design which I combined in a program for machine embroidery. I tinted some muslin fabric with a fabric paint (just slightly to give it a bit of an aged look) before I embroidered on it. I then put it on top of some nylon webbing and made the collar.

I didn't realize how accurate this would be...

And her sporting it on a rare down time...

Everything wasn't totally smooth sailing as I did have some problems allergy wise. However, I have found it can be remedied by what you feed and bathe dogs in (Side note: I have a cousin who has a an allergy to dogs but has very little problems with my dogs). She had a med quality puppy food they were feeding her which wasn't exactly bad, but obviously not compatible with me. I carefully looked around (dogfoodadvisor.com) and found one that was "clean" and simple ingredients out of all the ones this brand had. I also trust the company and had researched it previously and it didn't seemed to have changed since the last time I looked at it (Merrick if you were wondering). My allergies cleared up shortly and I think she even feels better with the change. Now she is more of a handful than ever. LOL If you are wondering my big boy is on a homemade diet due to his specific medical problems.

She is now 3 months old and is already learning sit and come with pretty good accuracy. That can be a good thing and and bad one. It tells me she is smart but hopefully I can keep up. We will see (help me? LOL). 

I'll always miss my sweet girl and nothing will keep me from missing her a lot, but the new pup (which I'm not unconvinced she didn't send to me to keep me on my toes) will help with the sadness. She is not a replacement but an addition to the family. She has already helped my boy who is having fun playing with her and watching her drive me insane. INSANE!

So I've been preoccupied at the moment, but it is nice that it isn't all bad news (I think). Now I have to go yell at a pup who just got something she shouldn't have gotten....

🐶

Netflix, Puppies, and Free Audiobooks... What a Combination!

I only have a couple to share.

Show:

Into the Badlands

This one is an AMC production. I did catch one ep on AMC but didn't get caught up in it. I found the first season on Netflix (second season is going on now at AMC) and quickly got into this one. This is one I highly suggest to start from the beginning. The nuances make more sense. It has those Chinese film sword fight like flair that defy gravity paired with a dystopian background. This is one I say to try it (from the beginning) you might like it. 😉

Movie:

Leap Year

Thought this one would be cute with Amy Adams in it and it was a enemies to falling in love kind of film. It follows the formula and I did enjoy their journey where everything goes wrong. They do fall for each other but it really didn't quite flow with me. I think I needed a bit more of Matthew Goode's background or character growth. Still, it was enjoyable and I did love the epilogue at the end.



If you like that formula, I think you would enjoy the 90s film, French Kiss. It is a bit more successful in the transition of enemies to falling in love but I sill love Leap Year's epilogue better.  I mention this because it hit me as I was comforting my pups and this came on tv in the background. 💋

🎬

...and speaking of comforting pups. Again, I haven't had as much time as I like with either netflix or reading because the pups think they need more attention. One isn't still doing well with more pain and has worried me but we had snow and it really made her happy (she is a snow dog).

The other one decided to get more attention. Since his paw had healed from the last time, he decided to rip off a nail on another foot. It came off clean so I just put a cotton sock on his foot so it could still get air, keep clean and keep him from licking (in his case he is good about it as long as there is a sock on it). If this happens to you, as long as it isn't bleeding a lot you can usually soak it in warm water to clean it then put neosporin on it before putting a sock on it. You hold the sock on with a loose wrapping of vet tape or the kind of tape that sticks to itself (I found a vid since I'm not sure I was clear HERE which also gives good hints of what to look for and what to do). I thought I'd go into detail since when looking for the video I saw an article that said to put peroxide on it. Oh no! Talk about pain! Don't do it. And go to the vet if you feel the need or have questions. Best place to get your answers. The pics below is when it first happened and all I had was thin paper tape. It ended up rolling up on itself and creating pressure on his foot. I caught it quickly since I was monitoring it before I could get the proper tape.

You can see he isn't too happy with the sock on and he acts like I have abused him to no end. LOL Hopefully he will not have lost the nail permanently. I also hope he stops vying for attention in this way. So forgive me if the blog gets a bit slow.

Trying to guilt me into taking off the sock

🙈

One thing to note is the start of Audiobook Sync's free month. It has already started and by the end of today (May 3rd) the freebies are The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and The Dead House by Dawn Kuragich. Tomorrow starts the new week of audiobooks. Those will be Feed by MT Anderson and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The list for this year is HERE so you don't miss any.
🎧